The Most Common Types Of Intermittent Fasting
If you want to lose weight or burn fat, just follow any of these types of intermittent fasting: 16:8, 1:1, 5:2, or the warrior diet.
The benefits of intermittent fasting go beyond weight loss and extend to keeping your blood sugars in check and boosting longevity.
Intermittent fasting, as much as it works for many, requires strict discipline.
There are different types of intermittent fasting, some more sustainable than others.
Types Of Intermittent Fasting
Here are the most common types of intermittent fasting to choose from:
16:8 Fasting
This type of fasting is the easiest to follow for most people. It is also the most widely preferred form of fasting.
The 16:8 method of intermittent fasting involves eating for 8 hours in a day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. The 16 hours include the time that you will be asleep, which makes it even easier to fast.
What makes the 16:8 diet effective is that it closely reflects your normal eating habits. You can eat whatever you want during your eating hours and you can also choose the hours that work best with your schedule.
If you want to try out fasting for weight loss, you should definitely try the 16:8 method of fasting.
1:1 Fasting
There are other less sustainable methods of fasting that will require more of your discipline.
The most difficult one is the 1:1 method of fasting which involves eating for one day and fasting on the next.
Staying without any food for 24 hours is very difficult, so many people would not go for this kind of fasting.
Another downside is that you may overeat on your 24-hour non-fasting day, which is counter-effective to your weight loss goals.
5:2 Fasting
Another type of intermittent fasting is the 5:2 method which works a lot better than the 1:1 method.
It involves eating for five days a week and fasting for two. You can change the eating and fasting days to suit your schedule if you like.
On the two fasting days, you eat restrictively, ensuring that you consume no more than 500 or 600 calories a day.
While this method of intermittent fasting is much easier, you may feel weak and drained on the days that you are eating too little food which makes it unsustainable.
The Warrior Diet
The warrior diet puts much focus on the quality of your diet and allows you to eat only some kinds of fruits and vegetables with minimal to no calorie content.
You should take your fruits and vegetables for 20 hours every day and close to a heavy meal in the evening.
This kind of diet can be expensive to maintain depending on the kinds of fruits you are eating.
While all types of intermittent fasting work, their main side effects are overeating and binge eating as you try to eliminate hunger and try to stay full until your next meal.
If you are pregnant, have diabetes, or have an eating condition such as anorexia, it is safer to find other weight loss methods apart from fasting. Always seek your doctor’s advice beforehand.
